When you think of the best places to go for art, do galleries come to mind? Do you imagine inspiring collections of paintings and sculptures, created by great artists throughout the generations, carefully displayed for you to contemplate and admire?
Don’t get us wrong, galleries are great. But this fall, we at York Durham Headwaters challenge you to get tactile with your art adventures. That’s why we invite you to hop in your vehicle for a hands-on road trip to create your own unique masterpieces. We are overflowing with workshops where you can learn to paint, sculpt, and get handsy in many different ways. Set your GPS to YDH for a creativity fix like no other. Here are just a handful of the many unique, inventive and downright cool workshops and experiences we have to suit every artistic whim.
Paint with beeswax
You’ve heard of oil, watercolour and acrylic. But have you ever heard of painting with beeswax? It’s a real thing, and it’s called encaustic painting. This unique style uses heat to fuse layers of molten beeswax onto canvas, creating artwork with stunning depth and texture. It’s therapeutic, it’s playful, and you can try it for yourself at The Hive Encaustic Studio, located within the stunning, historic Alton Mill Arts Centre in Caledon.
Headwaters
Discover the whimsical world of fabric sculpting
Take a drive through the gently rolling countryside of Sunderland, and you might think that faeries and magical woodland creatures frolic within these charming woods and hills. Turns out… they are! At Rolling Hills Studio, fabric artist Anja Kooistra teaches you how to make whimsical fabric sculptures for your lawn, garden and home. Great for a solo day out or an adventure with friends, you’ll love bringing fabric to life in Anja’s atmospheric converted barn.
Beautify your life with blossoms
There is something wholesome and healing about a beautiful bouquet of flowers, isn’t there? At Country Cut Flowers, flower farmer Janet Tuenschel offers workshops where you can learn how to get creative with lovely blooms. From lavender wreaths, to dyeing silk scarves with flower petals, to creating your own professional floral arrangements—if you love pretty petals, then head to this lovely flower farm in Newmarket.
If you’re in the Headwaters area, take a day trip to Mono and Valhaven Farm. Here, farmers Frank and Jennifer Gray will teach you how to immerse yourself in a floral wonderland with events like flower picking and arranging, sunset yoga, and paint, sip and snip. Let each bloom tell your unique story in this picturesque setting with a hands-on floral experience.
Head to Perennial Petals in Stouffville to enjoy this small boutique flower farm offering unique, heritage and contemporary blooms. Learn how to make wall wreaths, everlasting pumpkins, silver windchimes, centrepieces, and more. Discover the joy of creating something with your own hands from flowers grown to perfection and picked at the height of their glory.
Paint en plein air
Perhaps you’re already an avid artist, and you’re looking for a quiet place to create and get inspired. YDH is your en plein air destination… which is really just fancy-speak for painting outdoors. The famed Group of Seven were renowned for their en plein air masterpieces, and spent time right here in our region creating some of their most celebrated works.
Let the rich, natural beauty of York Durham Headwaters inspire your painting and sketching this fall. Some of our favourite spots include (but are certainly not limited to!) Trail Hub in Uxbridge. The view from the summit of this unique locations is impossible to beat, plus the vast network of trails means you have nearly unlimited choices for where to set your canvas. Belfountain Conservation Area, Forks of the Credit Provincial Park and Island Lake Provincial Park all offer stunning scenery, with features like waterfalls, streams and lakes. In Port Perry, the historic town and popular waterfront offer inspiration for your en plein air adventure, as does Unionville, with its historic town and TooGood pond.
Perhaps you prefer to create in a group, or you’re new to the en plein air scene. Not to worry, there are some great workshops and events happening in YDH to get you started. In Erin, Over Here Community Arts Adventure is holding outdoors art sessions this fall. Try your hand at palette knife painting at Everdale Farm September 12th and 13th. Or, on October 18th, you can learn how to paint landscapes with a Contemporary Impressions workshop. The Aurora Cultural Centre is also hosting introductory classes for en plein air painting, so you’ll get hands-on instruction if you’re new to art in the great outdoors.
Art to nourish the body as well as the soul
We often overlook food when we think of art, but food is without doubt the most universal artform there is. At Bounty from the Boonies, you can participate in all sorts of food-related workshops. Learn the art of pickling to preserve the summer harvest. Make wreathes with living herbs. Learn how to create terrariums, and decorate cookies, and make food-shaped stained glass creations. Plus, there are more non-food activities at this lovely little shop in Uxbridge. Spend a day with owner Carly McDougall, and get hands-on as you reap the bounty of nature.
Make your own ink from foraged ingredients
Nature is a bounty of colour, and Dufferin Foraged Inks will teach you how to harvest and create from it. Learn how plants, berries and nuts from our local environment can be turned into ink. Artists Darlene Hostrawser and Fabienne Good will show you how to create beautiful artwork from this natural wonder, which is similar to watercolour painting. Workshops take place throughout Dufferin County at various locations, so keep your eye on their calendar, because you won’t want to miss this one-of-a-kind experience.
Decorate your landscape with dry stone walls
Imagine a simpler time, when farmers’ fields were bordered not by wire and wood, but by picturesque walls of stacked stone. This September from the 25th to the 27th, you can learn this time-honoured craft at the Dry Stone Canada Walling Festival happening at the Goodlot Farmstead Brewing Company in Alton. Learn the foundational principles of this artistic discipline, from selecting and sorting stone to building a stable freestanding wall. All tools and materials provided, and no prior experience needed. Or, simply come and enjoy the festival. It’s free, and there will be good food, evening talks, live music and special guests.
Workshops to suit every artistic whim
It’s easy to get hands-on with your art adventures in York Durham Headwaters. There are more great locations that host all kinds of workshops throughout our region. Plan a road trip to any of these stunning and unforgettable places for activities to suit any taste.
- Parkwood Estate – This National Historic Site in Oshawa was once the home of General Motors Canada founder R.S. McLaughlin. Today, the grounds and home are open to the public, and Parkwood offers workshops from stained glass making to wire wrapped bracelets, from hand building pottery to fall candle and wreathes, and so much more.
- Scugog Arts – Join an Open Studio on the last Wednesday of every month from 1–4 p.m. This relaxed, drop-in session for artists of all levels invites you to create alongside others in a shared, supportive space. Bring along an unfinished project or start something new, and test out a rotating selection of unique art supplies to spark inspiration. Connect, create, and be part of an artistic community this fall.
- Williams Mill – Whether young or old, experienced or looking for a place to start, the historic Williams Mill on the Credit River in Halton Hills offers all kinds of classes and workshops for any skill level. Try your hand at landscape painting, stone sculptures, or watercolour paintings. There are also classes for kids, teens and adults.
- Pickering Museum Village – Step back in time to discover fun heritage workshops for kids. This autumn, choose from seasonal activities like puppet-making and wand workshops, to spellbook making and potion making. Little hands need a hands-on art road trip, too!
- The Village at Black Creek – Explore York Region’s most immersive outdoor heritage destination for unique workshops that will bring you back to a simpler time. This fall, choose from a lineup of great events like heritage-inspired linocut printing, bread and butter workshops, encaustic painting, soap making, needle felting and more.
- Museum of Dufferin – This historic converted barn is the perfect place to wind down and get hands-on with great activities. This fall, MOD is holding key workshops you won’t want to miss. On September 12th, discover the beauty of cyanotype printing, a 170-year-old photographic printing process that produces prints in a distinctive blue tone using the sun’s rays. Join MOD for the Earth & Fire: Clay and Glass event on September 19th, where you can explore the boundless possibilities of clay and glass as artistic and functional mediums, and try your hand at wheel throwing to create your own glazed and fired ceramics.
- Station Gallery – This unique art gallery is situated in Whitby’s historic train station. Let the ambience inspire you as you enjoy fantastic workshops like soap stone carving. Create beautiful sculptures using the techniques of this timeless art. If you love creating something you can put to good use, try bookbinding with a tactile two-part workshop. Create a one-of-a-kind book with guidance from an experienced instructor. There are more great workshops to explore like gold leaf techniques, mandala drawing and papier mâché.
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